Almost 200 fly-tipping incidents in Bristol every week
Last year Bristol City Council recorded 10,268 fly-tipping incidents
Almost 200 fly-tipping incidents are recorded every week in Bristol including asbestos, fridges and doors according to the latest figures. Last year Bristol City Council recorded 10,268 fly-tipping incidents.
This was an increase from 8,556 the previous year, perhaps due to the cost of living easing off, according to one council boss. Ken Lawson, head of waste, previously told councillors that now people have more disposable income, they are upgrading furniture more regularly, which could explain the spike.
Two thirds of people in Bristol think fly-tipping is a problem locally, according to the latest data from the council’s quality of life survey. This question was only asked a couple of times however, so it’s hard to compare whether people’s perceptions of fly-tipping have changed over the years.
All fly-tipping incidents are broken down depending on how large they are. This ranges from a single black bag to a tipper lorry load, and even multi-loads. The majority of incidents however tends to be a small van load, with 44 per cent of incidents in 2023–24 recorded as this size.
Fly-tipping can often be dangerous too. That year, nine incidents involving asbestos were recorded, and 13 the previous year. For nearly a month at the start of 2025, roofing materials containing asbestos were left on a pavement in Whitchurch, with children sometimes playing nearby. Bristol Waste staff thought taking the rubbish away was too risky, so they left it there.
After a local councillor complained to the local press, the council-owned company then hired specialist contractors to remove the fly-tipping. Long-term fixes are now being explored to prevent hazardous waste being left for so long in future.
The total number of fly-tipping incidents has gone up and down over the past decade. In 2013, just 6,358 incidents were recorded. The following year this shot up to 10,472, the most recorded in Bristol since then. Incidents then gradually dropped to 7,772 in 2019, before rising again.
You can report fly-tipping to the council via the Fix My Street website, as well as other problems like with potholes or broken manhole covers. Whether or not anything happens next is another question. Last summer, a huge pile of doors and windows was reported near the Chocolate Path. Initially, Bristol Waste said they wouldn’t do anything as the pile was on private land.
However, Land Registry documents later showed that the land was in fact owned by the council. This finally prompted most of the rubbish to be removed, although shards of broken glass and wrecked temporary fences still remain there. Local residents have complained about similar problems when attempting to use the Fix My Street site.
A recent campaign to fight fly-tipping saw both the council and Bristol Waste urging people to avoid rogue operators dumping their rubbish. Instead, when hiring somebody to dispose of something, you should ask for a waste carrier registration number, check it on the Environment Agency’s public register, and check you’ll get a receipt.
When the campaign launched, Green Councillor Martin Fodor, chair of the environment committee, said: “Fly-tipping has a real impact on communities in Bristol and is a deep source of frustration.
“Not only is it a blight on our local environment, with everything from old mattresses dumped in parks, waste piling up on pavements and dangerous items like gas canisters left cluttering lanes, it costs taxpayers thousands in clear up costs — money that could otherwise be spent on essential services like schools and social care.
“Our teams, in collaboration with colleagues at Bristol Waste Company, work tirelessly to tackle the problem, but we need our community’s help to stop it at the source. We’re asking people to check who they pay to take rubbish away. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is — and sadly it’s our communities and local wildlife who ultimately pay the price.”
There are three household reuse and recycling centres in Bristol, which residents can visit for free. The council also offers bulky waste collection services, and the city has a range of reliable, licensed private waste carriers. Anyone caught fly-tipping could be charged with a criminal offence and receive a fine of up to £50,000.